Latch



May 27 ,"1924.

' w. s. WITTEN LATCH Filed April 5, 1920 Patented May 27, 1924.

LATCH.

Application filed April 5,

To (/ZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM S. lVrr'rnN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to latches of the type coniprisin-g a latching member in the form of a heavy bolt suspended in horizontal position at the lower end of a pendulous bar, and the principal object of my invention is to provide a new andimproved form and arrangement of means for mounting the latching member in position, for protecting it from the weather, and for locking itin operative latching position, the arrangement being such that the latch is adapted for use with either right-hand or left-hand doors. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my object is illustrated in the drawings and is hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings,.

Fig. 1 is a face view of my improved latch in position upon a gate, a small portion only of which is shown;

F ig. '2 is an enlarged detailed view, being partly a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and being partly broken away; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of my improved latch removed from the gate and with the face plate also removed, a changed position of the latch member being shown in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a gate upon which is mounted a casing 11 as shown in Fig. 2, the complete casing comprising a cover plate or face plate 12. The latching mechanism carried by the casing 11 as hereinafter described is adapted to engage a keeper 13 mounted in suitable position upon a post 14.

The latching member comprises a heavy latching-bolt 15 carried at the lower end of a pendulous bar 16, in the construction shown the bolt 15 being formed integral with the bar 16. The bar 16 is suspended from a rock-shaft 17, which is pivotally mounted by means of bushings 18 fitted in suitable sockets in the opposite faces of the casing. The inner end of the shaft 17 is made square in cross section and its in a 1920. Serial No. 371,186.

square hole in the upper end of the bar 16, as shown in Fig. 3, and the outer-end portion 19 of said shaft is bent at right angles. By this construction the shaft serves not only to pivotally support the latch member, but also as a convenient handle for moving it out of operative position. As indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, measuring from the bar 16 the inner end portion of the bolt 15 is longer and, therefore, heavier than its outer end portion; consequently, gravity causes it to stand normally in its operative position, but it may be swung back out of operative position, as indicated by the dotted lines, either by means of the handle 19, or

by its engagement with a beveled keeperv plate 21 in the act of closing the gate. As it is desirable that the bolt return instantly to its'operative position after passing the keeper plate so that it will be sure to catch when slammed. I have provided a set-screw 22 mounted in the wall of the casing in position to be struck by the pendnlous bar 16 when it has swung inward far enough to carry the bolt 15 out of engagement with the keeper. thrown inward quickly, as by the slamming of the gate, the bar 16 strikes the set screw forcibly and is caused to rebound and carry the bolt into operative position more quickly than would otherwise be the case. bolt 15 isof considerable length and lies close to the side walls of the casing, it is supported against twisting strains by the walls of the casing, and, therefore. the bar 16 may bemade comparatively light, as its principal function is to sustain and guide the bolt 15 in its movement rather than to resist the lateral strains to which it is subjected in holding the gate against swinging.

For locking the bolt 15 in operative position, a special form of lock is provided which constructed and arranged so that the latch as a whole may be used for either right-hand or lefthand doors or gates. in order to meet this requirement. keyhol es are provided in both faces of the latch casing to be used alternatively, depending upon which face of the casing is outermost. The locking mechanism for the latch comprises a casing 23 reversibly mounted in' a suitable pocket formed in the latch casing below the latching-bolt 15 and provided with a lockingbolt 24 located centrally with respect to the lock-casing 23 so that reversal of the lockcasing does not change the relation of the As the The result is that when the bolt is? locking bolt/24- to the latch bolt 15. For holding the lock-casing 23 in position in the latch casing, it is provided with a lug 25 which projects from one "face thereof and is adapted to engage one of the key holes 2 6 in the opposite latch casing. The face ot the lock-casing 23 is provided with a key hole 27 adapted to register with the key hole 26 in the adjacentface of the latch casing.

As will be appreciated. the bolt 15 in moving out of operative position swings inward and upward about the rock shaft '1'? as a center, and in order to make the locking mechanism as effective as possible it is so arranged that the locking bolt 2a has an extended engagement with the latch bolt with the bearing :taces oi said members in a plane substantially normal to the line of thrust of the latch bolt against the locking bolt. This result is eiiected in the construction shown by arranging: the locking mechanism so that when the locking bolt is projected it occupies a diagonal position with respect to the latching, bolt when the latter is in its operative or latching position. This also provides a bearing for the locking bolt against its casing which lies above the lower portion of the latching-bolt 1.5 so that said casing helps to sustain the locking bolt against extraordinary strains.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

l. A latch comprising a casing. a latchbolt movably mounted in said casing, and a unitary lock reversibly mounted in said casing' and having a locking-bolt adapted in either position of the lock to engage said latch bolt and hold it in operative position.

2. A latch comprising a casing having keyholes in opposite sides thereof, a latchbolt movably mounted in said casing, a unitary lock reversibly mounted in said casing, said lock having a keyhole adapted to register with the keyholcs in said casing, a locking-bolt adapted in either position of said lock to engage said. latch-bolt for holding it in operative position, and a lug at one side of said lock adapted to fit in one or the other of said keyholes.

3. A latch comprising a casing, a latl"ii"" bolt movably mounted in said casing, a lock casing removably mounted in a pocket formed in said first-named casing, said first named casing having oppositely-disposed key-openings, a lug carried by said lockcasing engaging one of the key-openings in the first-named casing, said lock-casing having a key-opening in registration with the other oi"? said first-named key-openings, and locking mechanism mounted in said 1001'- casing for holding the latcl'iing-bolt in operative latching position.

4t. A latch comprising a casing, a rigid pendulous bar mounted therein, a latch bolt connected with the lower end portion thereof, and a stop mounted in said casing in position to engage the inner edge of said bar when it is swung back far enough to carry the latch bolt out of operative position, whereby said bolt may be caused to rebound to its operative position.

A latch comprising a casing, a rigid pendulous bar mounted. therein, a latch bolt connected with the lower end portion there of. and a set screw adj ustably mounted in said casing in position to engage the inner edge oil said bar when it is swung back far enough to carry the latch-bolt out of operative position, whereby said bolt may be caused to rebound to its operative position.

(3. A latch comprising a casing, a pendulous bar mounted therein, a latch bolt connected with the lower end portion thcre oi, and a locking bolt mounted in said casing in diagonal relation to said latch bolt and movable into or out of operative engagmnent therewith.

T. A latch con'iprising a casing, a pendulous bar mounted therein, a latch bolt connected with the lower end portion thereot, the inner end of said latch bolt being beveled, and a locking bolt mounted in said casing in diagonal relation to said latch bolt and movable into engagement with the beveled. end thereof when said latch bolt is in operative position.

8. A latch comprising a casing, a pendulous bar mounted therein, a latch-bolt connected with the lower end portion thereof, a locking: bolt arranged diagonally with reference to said. latch-bolt when the latter is in its operative position, and being movable into or out of engagement with said latch bolt, and a *asinc, for said locking, bolt mounted in the latch casing, said locking bolt casingbeing: arranged so that a portion thereof lies above the plane of the lower margin of the latch bolt when the latter in operative position.

9. 3t latch comprising a casing, a pendulous bar mounted in said casing,v a horizontally-disposed latching-bolt mounted on the lower end of said. pendulous bar, means connected with said pendnlous bar for operating said latching-bolt, and a set-screw in said casing in the path of said pendulous bar tor adjustably limiting the backward movement of the latching-bolt.

lVlliliIAM S. lVlTTlflT 

